The Irish economy is in a strong position having recovered from the financial crisis and the subsequent recession. In
early 2012, the unemployment rate was 16% and almost 50,000 Irish people emigrated that year. At the start of 2019 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is down to 5.7% a and involuntary emigration has ended.

Central Statistics Office figures show 90,300 people of all nationalities moved to Irelandin the 12 months up to April 2018 . This is an increase from the previous year of 6.7% . The number of people emigrating fell by 13.1% from 64,800 to 56,300. This resulted in a net inward migration of 34,000, the highest level since 2008.

Of the 90,300 people who moved to Ireland here in the 12 months to April 2018, 28,400 (31.5 per cent) were returning Irish.

The total population of Ireland at the 2016 Census was 4,761,865

The population of Ireland has increased by almost 1.9 million over the past 60 years, rising from 2,898,264 in
1956 to 4,761,865 in 2016.

As at April 2018 the total estimated population of Ireland was 4.86 million, 12.2 per cent of whom are non-Irish nationals.

These are the top 10 different nationalities that were living in Ireland at the time of the 2016 census.

Irish 4,082,513

Polish 122,515

UK 103,113

Lithuanian 36,552

Romanian 29,186

Latvian 19,933

Brazilian 13,640

Spanish 12,112

Italian 11,732

French 11,661

German 11,531

In the five years to 2016 the population of Ireland increased by 173,600 . With a recorded natural increase of
196,100 over the period (births & deaths) , total net migration is estimated at -22,500 over the 5 years.